Process for producing interfolded paper packages.



. PATENTBD DEC. 4, 1906 s. WHEELER.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING INTERPOLDED PAPER PACKAGES.- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1906.

SHEETSSHEET 1.

v 1, g 7/ M 1 W [1 44am QRNEYS v PROCESS FOR PRODUGI NG INTERFOLD S. WHEELER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1906.

ED PAPER PACKAGES.

PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR' each packa e having 'threeor more leaves,

' nrurnn s'ragrpslggnnr orrron.

SETH WHEELER, OF OASTLETON, NEW YORK.

ROCESS FOR PRODUCING no. senses.

"Specification of Letterslatent.

INTERFQLDED PAPER PACKAGES- Patented. Dec. 4, 1906.

Original application filed October 10, 1905, Serial No- 282 ,1 51B Divided and this application filed March 28.1906. Serial No. 308,897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SETHVWHEELER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Castleton, county of Itensselaer, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Producing Interfolded Paper Packages, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,form1ng a part thereof.

My invention relates to a new and improved process forfolding and interfolding a series of units each comprising one or more sheets so as to simultaneously produce a'plurality of interfoldedpackages, the units of the termina leaves of which are interfolded with the terminal leaves of adjacent units.

In former United States Patents Nos. 777 ,7 61 and 821,562, granted to me December 20, 1904, and May 22, 1906, respectively,

I disclosed aprocess and apparatus for folding and interfolding units comprising single or superposed sheets; but the process was for, and the capacity of the machine illustrated in Patent No. 777,761 was limited to, the interfolding of but a single series of units, and thus to the production of but a single package at a time.

It is the main ob'ect of my presentinven tion to produce a plurality of such packages at a time from a sheet or Web having a width greater than a single package, the entire width thereof being the total width of the plurality of packages to be produced at a time.

In attempting to produce a plurality of packages simultaneously I have found, first, that it is impracticable to fold a wide sheet into a single package and then sever the packages so produced to form a number of packages, owing to the difliculty and expense attached to the severing of the material after the packages are completed. I have also tried to sever a wide sheet into a plurality of strips as or before the same is subjected to the folding operations; but the result thereof has been that the edges of the interfolded sheets of one series of packages tend to overlap the edges of the sheets of adjacentipack ages on one side or the other thereof. This causes the adjacent packages to be connected together in such a way as'to render their division quite diificult. Further, when under such. conditions the adjacent packages are web, and then separating finallydivided one from another the edges thereof instead of being true, so that the packages will fit nicely into receptacles for dispensing them, are rough and uneven, certain of the units projecting beyond the body portion of the packages on both sides thereof. Io attem t to straighten out such a package would ta e so much time as to increase the cost of manufacture to a prohibitive point. I have solved the problem, however, by partially severing the sheets or webs longitudinally thereof, (preferably by producing a se ries of slits'interrupted b uncut portions which serve as frangible t1es,) whereby the lateral relationship of the resulting units is in no case disturbed, then folding and interfolding the sheets in this condition,(thus forming a single wide package, comprised, however, of a number of smaller packages frangibly conneotedtogether,) and finall severing the said smaller packages lateral y from each other alon the lines of previous partial'severance.

thereof is easily accom lished; but even this slight connection is su icient to revent any lateral overlapping and a plura ity of perfectly-formed packages duced.

My invention then consists in an improved process for producing interfolded paper packages consisting in partiall severmga web longitudinally, folding and interfoldmg a combined package the entire width of the the product thus formed into a plurality -0 packages by com pletely severing the web along its lines of partial severance. p

I In the drawings I have illustrated the several steps of the process necessary for producing the interfolded. sheets and also for artially severing the Web lengthwise, and I liave also illustrated an apparatus in'which my improved process may be carried out 'I he connecting portions or ties are so small and fragile thatv the severance is economically probut it will be understood that my process is entirely distinguished from any special form of apparatus and may, indeed, be readily carried out by hand, if desired.

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the folding and intcrfolding of the units. Fig. 7 is a top view of a portion of-a web or sheet of paper of a.

width sufiicient to form three packages at a tune and showing in connection therewith slitting means for partially severing the same reference clutructcrs,

. the frangible into strips united'by frangible ties. Fig. 8 illustrates a set of three united packages produced in accordance with my process before the product has been severed into individuul packages. Fig. 9 shows :L View in central vertical transverse section of i1 machine in l designates u roll of pope constituting it Web to form a continuous supply for the In Fig. l the web is partially unrollod and a section thereof constituting :i single sheet a is severed from the web ll. in l" 2 the sheet a is shown as cozzi filetcly folded at 12 and partially folded. st 13, the folds i2 and 13 being opposite and in opposite directions. In 1 3 s new sheet 3) is shown severed from the web 10, its iorwd end. being inserted in the in v c id 13 of. the sheet in Fig. 4 the re sheet a shown. us oomph-:tcd, end of the sheet I) being embctu-"een the body of the sheet a and In Fig. 5 the sheet l) is shown folded'ovcr the terminal end of the sheet e at and partially folded backward upon itself, so as to form an incomplete fold at l5; In Fig. 6 another sheet 0 is shown as having been severed from the web, its for w 1rd end being inserted in the incomplete fold of the sheet A cornbiruurtion of the foregoing steps in the order no med will prouce c package of folded and inter-folded sheets of he required thickness. ln l ig. 7 l have shown the web to be of a width sulil cient to form three packages at uv time, and l have shown the said web as .icrtielly severed dong the lines 16 16 by means of perforstions or slits 80, having interposed between them sh sections of the material 31, cemiug rrengible ties, as above set forth. In carryin out my process herein I partially sever tue material along the braced linelo it prior to the folding and mterfclding opersties 31 holding the strips of the web together well enough so: that the strips will beheld together for all intents and purposes as one sheet while the folding is going on. The packege produced, however, isof the character shown in Fig. 8, the same being substantially a multiple package hav three) sections. packages only be hand along the lines of 16, as will be well undermg c plurality of (in this case hose sectioim or individual readily severed by P t-rtiel ceverhnce 9 l have shown s machine in central titerisvcrse section in which the recess may be carried out. This muchinc is illustrated fully end. completely in u copending Referring to these figures by application, Serial N 0. 282,151, filed Qctobcf 10,,1905, of which the present application is a divisional and is claimed in the said sppli cation; but T will briefly describe themain features herein, as the same forms a simple and eilicient apparatus by which my process may be carried. out. The web in this instance comprises plurality of sheets 17 17, which, however, are united in the feeding means to form a single web 10. It is understood that in the use of the term web herein the same may constitute a single sheet or one or more superposed sheets, as may be desired, and similarly the term unit is intended to apply either to a single sheet or several superposed sheets, as obviously In invention'is equally applicable to the folding of units of either character. The sheets 17, formiing the web 10, are passed around feedrollers 18 and beneath. presser-rollers 19. A shaft 20 02111 168 slittirig-disks 2l,,t ps riplicries of which are interrupted, z L

so that the severance of the we thereby will be only partial. The disks 21 it inttl grooves 23, formed in. one of the feed rollers l8, and. suitable gearing is provided to drive the slitting-disks synchronously vdth the and 28 comprise reciprocating and rocking fOlClOZF-blfidGS, which are moved at suitable times and rocked u on their supports, so'as to fold and interfo d the units in the manner set forth in the description of Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings and as specifically described in the said copending application. The folded sheets are forced intos box or re ceptocle 29, from which the multiple packcqes may be removed from time to time and after their removal the said multiple packages may be divided by hand into individual packages. Whutl clain1is l. The herein-describec'l process of producing interiolded paper packages, consisting in partially severin at web longitudinally, folding and interfol rliug the partially-severed web to form a connected gang of packages, and then separating the product thus formed, into a plurality of individual packages by completing the said partial severance,

'2. The herein-described process of producing interfolded paper packages, consisting in partially severing a web longitudinally, then completely severing the web transversely into sections of predetermined lengths, then folding and intcrfolding the said sections to form it gang of packages connected laterally along the line of partial severance, and in up and down completing the said partial severance. SII1& ler ac'kag each con finally separating the roduct thus formed severing 'thd connected package where parto into a plurality of in ividual packages by tiell se vered, to constitute a plurality of mining a c0mbi- 3. The herein-described process of producnation 0 the smaller units. ing interfolded paper packages, which consists in partially severing units into a plu- I SETH WHEELER rality of smaller units, folding and interfold- Witnesses: ing the partially-severed greater units into a EDGAR WHEELER,

connected package, and then completely WM. A. WHEELER. 

